Our Passion – September

Here at OPM we are proud of our team, their qualities, skills and qualifications make them great at what they do every day – But it is their passion that makes them the best at what they do.

OPM are proud to share an interest and support the passion behind our people.

And so would like to share that passion with you ….

OurPersonalMotivation–Ian’s Passion

By Ian Bell | Global Sales

Fishing is my passion

My childhood was idyllic and spent in the Vale of York close to the River Nidd which has some of the best course fishing to be had in the North of England. Back in the 1960’s with both parents working full time and in the age of innocence children were often left for the day to find their own amusements. I suspect we were “kept an eye on” by parents who worked locally but as kids we felt we were given freedom which our children and grandchildren can only dream of, they are glued to their computers or mobile phones whereas we were out in the open air getting hungry and waiting for our parents to return to cook tea!

As we lived close to the river, we as kids spent many hours at the river and sometimes in the river I suspect being a real nuisance to the few anglers who frequented the river, their only way of getting some form of tranquil fishing was either to shout and make sure we went away to terrorise some poor unsuspecting fisherman or to engage us to join in and have a go. I remember at age 8 or so meeting an angler who made a living from fishing in competitions not just in England but all over Europe called Ivan, I never knew his surname, but he had more fishing rods and tackle than most and in fact had a 4 wheeled cart he used to transport it from the car to the river bank. He took it on himself to teach me and some of the other kids to fish, he did a remarkable job and kept me transfixed for hours and I don’t remember many times whilst fishing when I caught nothing, I hope it’s not rose tinted memorise but who knows!

Not just the fish were hooked but I was too and soon I spent all my spare time fishing the river Nidd not a mile from where I lived, I got to know the sport well and still to this day get hours of enjoyment whilst pitting my wits against the prey.

I am now teaching my son Harry the delights of fishing and he too seems to enjoy the sport and we now live in Knaresborough some 8 miles from where I learnt to fish and we both still fish the river Nidd. We spend time together away from the weekday madness in a most beautiful part of Yorkshire catching fish with no computers and no iPads but time when the modern world with all its pressure a distant memory. I have a couple of images to show I do actually catch some fish but I am sure when I remember the fish it must be a trick of the camera as I remember them as much bigger!